As is usual, we’ll start from the front. Facing the XV-Z20000, the lens is centered left to right. The outer ring adjusts sharpness, and you adjust zoom from the tab that sticks up from the lens barrel, behind the focus ring. The zoom range is 1.35:1, meaning that there is a 35% difference between the closest and furthest it can be placed from a given sized screen. The least range of the 1080p projectors measured are the BenQ W10000 and W9000 (with 15% range – 1.15:1). All but the BenQ’s and the Optoma HD81 have at least 1.6:1 and many have 2:1 zoom ranges. As a result most buyers will end up ceiling mounting, although a significant percentage (with the right screen size to room depth) will be able to shelf mount.

With a 100″ diagonal 16:9 screen, the front of the projector can be as close as 13 feet 5 inches, or as far back as 18 feet 2 inches.

Also found on the front, is an infra-red sensor for the remote control, intake vent for cooling, and below the front are two drop down adjustable feet (left and right, of course).

Moving to the top of the projector (and looking at it from the rear), directly behind the lens, is a dial for adjusting the vertical lens shift. The lens shift range is half a screen height, which means the projector can be placed anywhere vertically so that its lens is no higher than the top of the screen surface, and no lower than the bottom. That’s a good amount of range, although people ceiling mounting, with high ceilings would like even more, so that their projector doesn’t have to hang down as far on a pole. Still “0″ offset is acceptable for most room installations.

Across the back of the top is a hinged door that opens to reveal the XV-Z20000′s control panel. (More in the General Performance section).

Moving to the back, that’s where all the inputs connect to the projector, and the XV-Z20000 is particularly well endowed (flexible), in this regard. In fact it is dripping in inputs, only the Optoma HD81 offers a similar amount of inputs, of all those tested so far.

From the left, first is a DVI-I connector, that can accept digital or analog sources. Below it, the power cord receptacle. Moving to the right, at the top, are a pair of HDMI inputs, so, counting the DVI connector, that’s 3! That allows most people to not need to do their switching through a digital switchbox or an AV receiver.

Below the HDMI connectors, are a pair of component video inputs – each having the full five connectors, not just R, G, and B. This means the XV-Z20000 can handle not just component sources from these, but alternately, it can support a wide range of analog signals, from other sources.

Of course, the XV-Z20000 has the usual S-video connector and an RCA connector for standard composite video. Further to the right, is an RS-232 for wiring up “command and control” from a computer or room control system. Next comes a 12volt screen trigger for raising or lowering a properly equipped, motorized screen, and lastly, there is a jack to hard wire your remote control (should distance be too great for the wireless remote, or there is no “line-of-site”), such as in a rear screen installation.

On the left side of the Sharp projector (looking from the rear) are another air intake and the projector’s exhaust vent. There are additional intakes, including on the back of the projector. On the right side of the projector is the lamp door.

That concludes our “physical tour”. The remote control will be covered in the General Performance section. Time to discuss the image quality of the Sharp XV-20000 1080p home theater projector.